Steve James

Back in 1987, documentary director-producer Steve James and his partner Frederick Marx joined with director of photography and producer Peter Gilbert to create a documentary about two ghetto youths fr...
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This Sunday will be Neil Patrick Harris’ first time hosting the Oscars. Can you believe it? He’s practically hosted every other awards show (from the Tonys to the Emmys), but now he’s in the big leagues – among such iconic hosts as Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, and…Donald Duck? Yep, that’s right. The animated cartoon character actually co-hosted the ceremony back in 1958. We’re just glad we weren’t alive to witness that. But we’ve witnessed our fair share of other hosts, from bad to good. Allow us to rank them for you.
10. Anne Hathway &amp; James Franco (2011)
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Everyone was left scratching their heads when this hosting duo was announced, and Anne and James didn’t do much to allay people’s concerns. Anne tried way too hard, and James just didn’t try enough, resulting in a disastrous show that likely solidified the notion that producers should stick to comedians for the job.
9. Hugh Jackman (2009)
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Sorry, Jackman. You’re a lovely singer and dancer, but this ain’t the Tonys. It was too much Broadway flair and not enough jokes.
8. David Letterman (1995)
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It was the “Oprah, Uma” gag that did him in. It just went on for way too long, and Hollywood was not amused.
7. Seth MacFarlane (2013)
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The Family Guy creator was an odd choice simply because we don’t see him in front of the camera much. He took risks with some edgier jokes (Such as: "['Django Unchained'] is the story of a man fighting to get back his woman, who's been subjected to unthinkable violence. Or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date movie.") and received a mixed response from critics.
6. Billy Crystal (1990 - 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2012)
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He’s hosted a TON of times (9 to be exact), with varying degrees of success. The best part is whenever he inserts himself into the Oscar-nominated films. But when they brought him back to host the 2012 awards after Eddie Murphy dropped out, we sort of felt like he was the “safe” choice. He did play it safe, and in effect, the show was a bit boring.
5. Whoopi Goldberg (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002)
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Remember when she appeared on stage in full Queen Elizabeth I regalia? She really went for it and nailed it.
4. Chris Rock (2005)
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When he hosted, they had the telecast run on a 7-second delay – just in case. We know at least one person wasn’t a fan. After Chris made a joke about Jude Law, a humorless Sean Penn took the stage to criticize the comedian, calling Jude one of the industry’s “finest actors.” At least Chris stayed true to his own boisterous style.
3. Steve Martin &amp; Alec Baldwin (2010)
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Ok, so the pairing may have just been because they had recently starred in a movie together (It’s Complicated), but these two proved to complement each other quite nicely. Steve is a veteran host and knows how to work the room, and Alec is just naturally funny. They're no Tina and Amy, though...
2. Jon Stewart (2002, 2006)
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The things about Jon Stewart is that he’s smart. Very smart. He deftly balanced the political jokes with his hilarious insights on Hollywood and we were thoroughly entertained. Maybe now that he's retiring from The Daily Show, it'll free him up to host more awards shows.
1. Ellen DeGeneres (2007, 2014)
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Nevermind the fact that she took that epic celebrity selfie, she brought PIZZA for everyone last year. Hands down the best.
Who was YOUR favorite Oscar host? Tell us on Twitter!
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Freaks and Geeks was tragically canceled after only 12 episodes had aired -- a mistake many have come to learn throughout the years as the series has found a cult following and a new appreciation. Its cast is filled with some of the most recognizable and lovable faces around today. Here are the audition tapes from those faces, trying to land the roles we'd come to love them for:
Linda Cardellini, Lindsay Weir
We could really never picture any other actor playing Lindsay Weir, and she had it down pat even in her audition. Since playing lead character (and eternal style icon) Lindsay Weir, Cardellini has starred as the perm-getting murderess from Legally Blonde and Velma in the Scooby Doo movies, as well as maintaining a long run on ER and an Emmy-nominated guest role on Mad Men. More recently, she's done voice work with various TV shows.
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John Francis Daley, Sam Weir
"So that means she had sex in February." He straight up kills this audition and perfectly embodies the adorable Sam Weir. Best known for his facial expressions throughout the short-lived series, Daley has become well known to fans of the hit show Bones, starring as Dr. Lance Sweets since season 3. He also writes movies like Horrible Bosses and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone nowadays too.
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Seth Rogen, Ken Miller
"That's why when some idiot teacher tells me that I'm not living up to my potential, I just smile 'cause I know I am." It seems from this clip, Seth Rogen hasn't changed much, thankfully. Rogen followed his role in Freaks and Geeks with a small role in Donnie Darko and a lead role on the (also tragically short-lived) Judd Apatow-created Undeclared before finding more mainstream success with bigger roles in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, which he also produced. He's since gone on to write, produce, and star in several other monstrously successful films: Superbad, Pineapple Express, This Is The End, and Neighbors. He's also a known enemy of North Korea.
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Busy Philipps, Kim Kelly
Wow, Busy Philipps totally understood just how mean she was supposed to be. After her turn as McKinley High School's resident mean girl Kim Kelly, Philipps guest starred a few times on Undeclared and then had a longer run as a supporting role on Dawson's Creek. Aside from her film roles in movies like White Chicks and Made of Honor, she can be found currently starring in the sixth and final season of Cougar Town.
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Jason Segel, Nick Andopolis
Absolutely perfect audition, right? No longer just the awkward, Led Zeppelin-obsessed stoner of McKinley, Segel now has a successful film career acting in Knocked Up, I Love You, Man, Bad Teacher, and writing/starring in movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement, and Sex Tape. His TV roles include a memorable recurring role on Undeclared and a lead role on the long-lasting hit series How I Met Your Mother.
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Martin Starr, Bill Haverchuck
"It's called the Hitler Punch." It's clear from this hilarious audition why he got the part! Probably our favorite of the entire bunch, Bill Haverchuck, the geekiest of the geeks, was played perfectly by the lanky and awkward Martin Starr. Starr has gone on to enjoy film roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and This Is The End, along with a TV role on the hilarious-but-unfortunately-short-lived cult comedy Party Down. He can currently be found on the Emmy-nominated Silicon Valley as Gilfoyle.
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Samm Levine, Neal Schweiber
Yepp, it seems Samm Levine really is Neal Schweiber, doofy impressions and all. Levine followed up his memorable turn as one of Sam Weir's geek best friends with small roles on every show you've ever heard of: Spin City, Yes, Dear, Just Shoot Me!, The Steve Harvey Show, Boston Public, Undeclared, Raising Dad, What I Like About You, Maybe It's Me, The Drew Carey Show, That's So Raven, That 70s Show, How I Met Your Mother, My Name Is Earl, Still Standing, Entourage, Veronica Mars, Lost, 90210, Modern Family, NCIS, Person of Interest, and most recently, Selfie. His film work includes Sydney White, Inglourious Basterds, and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
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While there's no James Franco audition online yet, we're not giving up hope.
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Justin Timberlake teamed up with comedy pal Jimmy Fallon to launch the star-studded Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary special on U.S. TV on Sunday (15Feb15). Former SNL regular Dan Aykroyd urged viewers to "stay tuned" for the three-and-a-half hour show during the red carpet pre-show, insisting, "You're never gonna see TV like this again", and he wasn't wrong.
Timberlake kicked off the proceedings by interrupting his pal Fallon's opening song-and-dance number to join him for a rap number, referencing some of the show's most famous catchphrases and skits.
The two pals closed their i with a song-and-dance number, in which they named SNL's most famous comedians.
Sir Paul McCartney and Paul Simon then teamed up during a second monologue, during which Steve Martin fought to convince the starry audience that he was the best host - over Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Melissa McCarthy, Chris Rock and Miley Cyrus.
In among the medley of historical skits, dotted throughout the special, there were also updates of classic sketches, including a celebrity Jeopardy gameshow, featuring Jim Carrey as Matthew McConaughey, an updated Wayne's World, and spoof soap The Californians with Bradley Cooper as a pool boy, Kerry Washington as a doctor and Taylor Swift as a hippie actress, which ended with Cooper smooching Betty White.
Other highlights included Keith Richards introducing McCartney's rendition of Maybe I'm Amazed, Edward Norton, Melissa McCarthy and Emma Stone impersonating their favourite SNL characters, and Miley Cyrus covering Simon's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.
The oddest moment came when rapper Kanye West performed his hit Jesus Walks while lying on the floor, beneath an illuminated white sheet. West eventually stood and sang his new song Only One.
Star guests also included Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Jerry Seinfeld, James Franco and Michael Douglas and former SNL regulars Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chevy Chase, Will Ferrell and Bill Murray.
The marathon special ended with a performance from Paul Simon, but there was no 'N Sync reunion, as had been rumoured earlier in the day.

Tons of celebrities write memoirs. Even the ones who aren’t old enough to write memoirs dictate their short lives to a “co-writer” who gets it ready for Kindle consumption at rapid speed (Justin Bieber, we’re looking at you). But there are other famous folks who give fiction writing a shot and find themselves atop a best-seller list or two. Read up on a few successful celebrity authors and the books you may or may not have known they wrote!
1. Julianne Moore
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Julianne Moore published her first children’s book, Freckleface Strawberry, in October 2007 and it was an instant smash. It landed on the New York Times Best Seller list and was later adapted into a musical, further proving that having red hair and freckles makes you awesome.
2. Hilary Duff
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Um, yeah. Lizzie McGuire wrote a book. A popular one at that. Her debut young adult novel Elixir (which was co-written with Elise Allen because, let’s face it, when you think Hilary Duff you don’t think “novelist”) was released in 2010. It peaked on the New York Times Best Seller list and Duff went on to “write” two more sequels to the supernatural romance.
3. Lauren Conrad
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The former Hills reality star penned a novel that was basically a fictionalized version of her life – kind of like, well, The Hills. L.A. Candy was released in 2009, became a bestseller, and inspired two sequels – Sweet Little Lies and Sugar and Spice.
4. Lauren Graham
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We know from Gilmore Girls that Lauren Graham has a knack for spouting witty dialogue, but apparently she can write it too! Her debut novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe – about a young woman trying to make it as an actress in New York in the mid-90s - was released in 2013 and quickly entered the New York Times Best Seller list. Rory would be so proud.
5. Chris Colfer
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Talk about an out-of-the-blue success story! We only knew Chris Colfer as a singing/acting machine on Glee, but he became a bonafide author in 2012 with the release of the children’s book The Land of Stories:The Wishing Spell. He spent two weeks at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list in the Children’s Chapter Books category. All of this accomplished at the ripe old age of 22. Can you even?
6. James Franco
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That’s one way to put your many college degrees to use. James Franco released a collection of short stories called Palo Alto in 2010. And while many critics deemed it a failure, it was turned into a film…which nobody saw. Ok so maybe it wasn’t commercially successful but come on, don’t you just want to read it out of curiosity?
7. Nicole Richie
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The former party girl of The Simple Life put pen to paper (or, in a more likely scenario, hired a ghostwriter) to complete a semi-autobiographical novel called The Truth About Diamonds. The book, released in 2005, is about a singer's adopted daughter who becomes a celebutante and battles drug addiction. Sound familiar? Richie even put a picture of herself on the cover. Still, it reached number 32 in the Hardcover Fiction New York Times Best Seller list. She released a second novel, Priceless, in 2010.
8. B.J. Novak
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How do you entice kids to read a book with no pictures? Have B.J. Novak write it. The former Office star’s children’s book – aptly titled The Book With No Pictures – became a huge hit with the kindergarten set when it was released earlier this year. For anyone who thought this was an unusual career move for Novak, he’s having the last laugh – along with thousands of extremely entertained kids.
9. Ricky Martin
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Since becoming a dad, Ricky Martin is no longer livin’ la vida loca. Instead, he’s writing children’s books. His first book, Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars, was released in 2013. The picture book was inspired by his own childhood and was published in both English and Spanish. Martin previously penned his memoir in 2011.
10. Steve Martin
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This comedian takes his writing seriously. He wrote a novella, Shopgirl, in 2000, which was turned into a movie. And in 2010, he published a novel called An Object of Beauty about a young woman trying to make it in the art world.
Do YOU have a favorite celebrity author? Tell us on Twitter and Facebook!
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2015 is going to be a big year for movies, and we're super excited. There are dozens of films that we can't wait to see: long-awaited sequels, novel adaptations, oh and a little movie called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. These are some of the blockbusters that are heading to a theater near you in 2015.
1. 50 Shades of Grey (February 13)
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The sexy novel comes to the big screen just in time for Valentine's Day.
2. Cinderella (March 13)
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3. The Divergent Series: Insurgent (March 20)
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4. Furious 7 (April 3)
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The last Fast and Furious movie to star the late Paul Walker.
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1)
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The superhero team assembles once again to take on a sentient robot threat.
6. Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15)
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The Bellas are back for an aca-sequel!
7. Mad Max: Fury Road (May 15)
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8. Tomorrowland (May 22)
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9. Paper Towns (June 5)
The closest I've come to getting a picture of Ben. Love these guys. #PaperTowns http://t.co/QjLY96DqiJ pic.twitter.com/hBso48e2K9
— John Green (@johngreen) December 17, 2014
The second book by author John Green to be made into a film, after the success of last summer's The Fault in Our Stars.
10. Jurassic World (June 12)
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11. Inside Out (June 19)
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The newest Pixar film takes place in the mind of a young girl.
12. Terminator Genisys (July 1)
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13. Magic Mike XXL (July 1)
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We're so happy that we're getting more of this.
14. Ant-Man (July 17)
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15. The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (September 18)
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16. Spectre (November 6)
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James Bond (Daniel Craig) returns to kick some more ass.
17. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (November 20)
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18. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December 18)
19. Sisters (December 18)
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Tina Fey and Amy Poehler starring in a movie together makes it an automatic must-see.
20. The Hateful Eight (December 25)
H8ful Eight rehearsal! This shit is too much fun! Gonna be a BLAST!! http://t.co/VuRFpbABFs
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) November 23, 2014
The latest film from Quentin Tarantino. Expect a lot of violence.
It looks like we'll be spending a lot of time at the movies next year.
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Jack Black, Cedric the Entertainer, Rashida Jones, Kristen Bell and Bishop Desmond Tutu were among the celebrity pals who helped Scottish late-night host Craig Ferguson end his final Late Late Show by performing along to a song by Dead Man Fall, a band from the comic's native Cumbernauld in Scotland. Ferguson was also joined by the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones and a gospel choir in the studio as he wrapped up 10 years as the host of the programme earlier this week (ends19Dec14).
He ended the show by 'revealing' the man inside his mascot pantomime horse, who has appeared on the show for years, was comedy legend Bob Newhart.
The finale airs in America on Friday night, a night after fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert closed out nine years on his show The Colbert Report ended with an all-star sing-along, featuring Barry Manilow, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Stipe, James Franco and Jeff Daniels.
Fellow Brit James Corden will pick up the reins of the show in March (15).

British actor Tom Adams has died, aged 76. Adams passed away on Thursday (11Dec14) following a battle with cancer.
His agent Emma Harvey says, "A true gentleman, his personality was as big and warm as his voice... We'll miss him very much."
Adams is best known for his role as Dai Nimmo in 1963 war classic The Great Escape alongside Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough.
He also starred in three James Bond-style spy movies in the 1960s and enjoyed recurring roles in TV series Doctor Who, The Onedin Line, General Hospital and soap opera Emmerdale Farm, which is now titled Emmerdale.
Adams also had a successful voiceover career and used his voice on many commercials.

Steve Carell will be honoured with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February (15). The funnyman will be handed the prize for his work as reclusive millionaire John du Pont in drama Foxcatcher. Previous recipients include Jennifer Lawrence, James Franco, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett, who picked up the trophy this year (14).

Actor Steve Carell is to be honored with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the 2015 Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California.
The Despicable Me star will be feted for his role as convicted killer John du Pont in Foxcatcher on 6 February (14).
Announcing the news on Monday (17Nov14), SBIFF executive director Roger Durling said, "He's made us laugh for so many years with his great comedic abilities, but he shows this year that his range and artistry runs deep with his career-changing performance in Foxcatcher. He is unrecognizable physically and emotionally."
Previous recipients of the accolade include Angelina Jolie, Heath Ledger, Jennifer Lawrence, Penelope Cruz, James Franco and Cate Blanchett, who picked up the accolade this year (14).

The Doors are to be honoured with the 2014 Inspiration Award at the upcoming Classic Rock Awards in Los Angeles. The two existing members of the group, John Densmore and Robby Krieger, will accept the accolade on behalf of late bandmates Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison at the first U.S.-based awards ceremony in the 10th year of the British magazine's annual prizegiving.
Densmore and Krieger have released a statement which reads: "In 1965 and '66, our brothers across the pond were making a lot of beautiful noise, and we attempted to create our own magical sound out here on the west coast. It's really nice to see them now turning around, coming back here to L.A., and recognizing what the four of us accomplished together on a beach in Venice, CA.
"To receive this award on our own soil, from the Brits, is an honor, and we take it as a sign of respect, so thank you, from us and on behalf of our fallen brothers, Jim and Ray."
Previous Inspiration Award recipients include Rory Gallagher, Jon Lord, Steve Marriott, Ronnie James Dio and Phil Lynott.
The event, which will be hosted by Sammy Hagar on 4 November (14), will also be a special night for Gregg Allman, the recipient of this year's Living Legend Award.
Black Sabbath, The Black Keys, Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden, Metallica and Queen + Adam Lambert will compete for the night's Band of the Year honour, while the coveted Album Of The Year award will be a battle between Bruce Springsteen (High Hopes), Judas Priest (Redeemer Of Souls), Motorhead (Aftershock), Pearl Jam (Lightning Bolt) and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Hypnotic Eye), among others.

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Directed and produced "The Interrupters," a documentary about a city grappling with urban violence

Wrote and directed documentary "Grassroots Chicago"

Helmed the TNT movie "Passing Glory"

Formed Longshot Films with Peter Gilbert

Helmed the documentary "At the Death House Door," which investigated the wrongful death of Carlos DeLuna, who was executed in Texas on Dec. 7, 1989; also produced

Directed and produced the documentary "Reel Paradise," about the world's most remote movie theater located in Fiji

Directed first feature, the biopic "Prefontaine"; also co-wrote with Eugene Corr

Directed and produced the documentary "Stevie"

Signed two-year deal with Disney

Began producing and directing documentaries for Kartemquin Films

Directed first feature length documentary "Hoop Dreams"; nominated for an Oscar for Best Film Editing

Summary

Back in 1987, documentary director-producer Steve James and his partner Frederick Marx joined with director of photography and producer Peter Gilbert to create a documentary about two ghetto youths from Chicago playing high school basketball and pursuing their dream to be on an NBA team. The filmmaking trio had only $2,500 with which to make the documentary, so they shot on video. After logging more than 250 hours of footage, they knew they had something more than a mere TV documentary. Instead, the result turned out to be the feature documentary "Hoop Dreams" (1994), which earned a place on most Top 10 lists and won virtually every critical award as Best Documentary although in a brouhaha that eventually changed the way Hollywood judges documentaries failed to be nominated for an Academy Award. In what was viewed as a sort of consolation prize, "Hoop Dreams" did earn an Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing. Some of the unused footage was employed in the 30-minute TV documentary "Higher Goals" (PBS, 1992) which was nominated for an Emmy. With Spike Lee, the trio has also been collaborating on an TNT special based on the film.